Too Late
by Diana Artemis Silvermoon
Summary: [1-shot] Sometimes... what is hidden deep inside of us... is revealed too late...


Jikei - elder brother (affectionate)

* * *

**Too Late**  
_Sometimes… what is deep inside of us… is brought to the surface too late.

* * *

_

Inuyasha gasped for breath. He grasped the Tetsusaiga in his right hand and the Tenseiga in his left in a death grip, refusing to let go. Kagome, because she had not sustained as much injuries, allowed him to lean on her. His youkai blood was already healing his wounds. Sango, with Kirara, and Miroku, with Shippo, approached.

"Where is he?" he wheezed. A rib seemed to be cracked. Kagome looked confused, but then realized what he was talking about. She pointed with her finger, at the black, bloated corpse in front of them that was Naraku. The finger trembled, then lowered a bit.

Inuyasha's gaze followed. "No," he breathed. Limping, ignoring the sounds of warning coming from his friends to be careful, he was still hurt, he tried to run to the body lying there, halfway between Naraku and where he had been.

He fell to his knees next to the form of his brother. His jikei.

Sesshoumaru lay there, unmoving, just like the statue Inuyasha had often compared him to. The irony of this was not lost on the hanyou, despite the circumstances. Gentle hands lifted the Taiyoukai's clawed hands into his own.

The armor was broken, completely demolished in the last blast, lying in pieces around it's former owner. The hoari and pants were ripped and tattered, the once always-fine silk in shreds. The pelt and silver hair, so like his own, were drenched in blood. The youkai's exposed chest showed clearly the damage he had received.

**0o0o0o0o0o0oFlashbacko0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_His feet sliding back by the sheer force of the blast, Inuyasha blocked with Tetsusaiga. He could feel the sword cry out in pain. Damn that bastard Naraku! He'd never expected it to take so long, even with Sesshoumaru and Kikyo's help._

_Kikyo. His first love was now gone. Her soul lifted into the heavens for much deserved peace. Her surrogate body was now in it's original form. Dirt and ashes scattered to the four winds._

_Sesshoumaru. That had been the biggest surprise, when his half-brother had joined them. Yet he could not deny the great asset it would bring and accepted. Now his brother lay against a fallen tree. Unconscious, with blood trickling through to his hair. Even his prowess had been defeated by the possessor of the Shikon no Tama._

_Naraku. Inuyasha snarled. He sent a final prayer. _Anybody who's listening… anyone… lend me your strength… please…

_He was surprised to find power flowing into Tetsusaiga; the sword greedily drinking it up. He was even more surprised to see Tenseiga land right before him. His head jerked up to where he had last seen Sesshoumaru. Sure enough, the inuyoukai had regained consciousness and his arms were stretched out, like he had just thrown something. Inuyasha locked eyes with his older brother and nodded his understanding. Picking up Tenseiga, he held the two swords together._

_They pulsed and, like long-lost brothers, fused together. Inuyasha was shocked to find the enormous amount of power he now had. _Sesshoumaru…_ his mind whispered. Inuyasha nodded his thanks. Even now, his brother had still found a way to try to defeat Naraku. _We are the blades_, he realized, _we are the blades. Brothers. Apart we were weak, but now together…

_His amber gaze filled with renewed determination. His eyes flickered. Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Shippo, and Kohaku lay in a heap. Kagome was fainted on the grass behind him. Kagura had disincarnated into the winds. Kanna had gone with her sister. Only him, Sesshoumaru, and Naraku were still there. And only he had the real strength to carry on and win._

_Summoning all of his energy, Inuyasha leapt. As he brought the improved fusion-sword down he yelled, "Kaze no Kizu!"_

_What appeared was like nothing he'd ever seen before._

_It was exactly like the regular Windscar, only now the attack had unbeatable force and power behind it. In the moment's lull, Inuyasha snuck a glance at his brother. He blinked. Sesshoumaru was leaping…_

_Naraku raged within the core of the attack. "If I cannot win, I shall take you with me Inuyasha!" Another attack came spinning through the raging energy that was the Windscar._

_Inuyasha barely had time to gape when he realized that he was completely vulnerable and was too tired to dodge. _So this is how it ends… I'm sorry Kagome…

_His eyes widened. The last thing Inuyasha saw before he lost consciousness was a dark blue crescent moon._

**0o0o0o0o0oEnd Flashbacko0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Inu… yasha…" Golden eyes fluttered.

Inuyasha jerked out of his thoughts and faced his brother. "Sesshoumaru! Kami, hold on! I can't let you die like this! Not after we finally…" His words trailed off. Sesshoumaru tilted his head a little, showing that he understood.

"It is not… your choice, Inuyasha…" Sesshoumaru's voice was unnaturally soft. Loving. Brotherly. Inuyasha looked at him in anguish.

"I just found you… please don't go when I need you, jikei," he pleaded. Kagome and the others were standing behind him. Her eyes softened and filled with tears as she heard the pain and anguish in Inuyasha's voice. "Please…"

Sesshoumaru's honey colored eyes softened to a level Inuyasha had previously never thought possible. "Do you remember… what I said to you last night… Inuyasha?"

**0o0o0o0o0o0oFlashbacko0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_Sesshoumaru turned. The full moon was right behind him, silhouetting his profile. The wind whipped his hair around._

_"Keh," Inuyasha grunted. "What do you want, Sesshoumaru?"_

_Sesshoumaru turned back to look at the moon. "The full moon is beautiful, is it not?"_

_"If you called me here to talk about that, then I'm leaving," Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest._

_"Just like our past…"_

_Inuyasha's throat clenched. He forced the words out with difficulty. "When you abandoned me you mean?" He didn't bother to hide the hurt and anger at the memory._

_Sesshoumaru looked at him again. Inuyasha was surprised to see the regret in his eyes. "I am sorry that I had to do that Inuyasha…" his voice was quiet. "But if I had brought you back with me… being in that court would have killed you. Either you would finally do something I could not forgive, or a knife in the ribs when you were asleep would have done the job."_

_Inuyasha blinked and uncrossed his hands. His eyes held shock and a flicker of guilt. "Yeah, well. It wasn't your fault I was born a hanyou." He couldn't believe that he was saying this._

_A smile tugged at the Taiyoukai's lips. Inuyasha noticed what he hadn't noticed before. There were slight bags underneath Sesshoumaru's eyes. His hair hung a little heavier than before. If he had been in full-demon form, then his ears would have drooped and his tail would have been sagging. He held himself, not with prideful arrogance, but with tired discipline and duty._

_"I promised you a long time ago, little brother," Sesshoumaru's mouth twisted into a bitter smirk. "Do you remember?"_

_Inuyasha was silent. Of course he remembered._

_"I will keep that promise. If I do not live, Inuyasha, take Tenseiga. Protect Rin and Jaken."_

_"You won't die!" Inuyasha couldn't help himself. His past self, his childhood self, came rushing to the surface. "I won't let you die! I need you, jikei! You can't just go!"_

_For a moment, they were in the past once more. Inuyasha, like he had done so many times, so many years ago, flung himself into his brother's arms, hugging him fiercely. Sesshoumaru, stiffened in surprise, then relaxed and accepted the gesture._

_Just like he had in the past._

_"I promised, Inuyasha. I promised to protect you. And I will keep that promise."_

**0o0o0o0o0oEnd Flashbacko0o0o0o0o0o0**

Inuyasha choked back a sob.

Sesshoumaru smiled weakly. "It seems, little brother, that I can no longer carry out that promise. I'm… sorry…"

His eyes closed. His head tilted to the side. Eyelids covered the once gleaming, now dull and lifeless golden suns. His bangs covered the still obvious crescent. His hand went cold.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. He reached out and shook Sesshoumaru's shoulder. "Jikei? Sesshoumaru? Sesshoumaru? Sesshoumaru! Wake up! Sesshoumaru!"

Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder, silencing him. "Inuyasha… Sesshoumaru, he… he's… gone…"

Inuyasha sat there, petrified with shock. He didn't notice the tears until one dripped onto his hand. His left hand. He looked down. It hit him. Tenseiga!

Wobbling slightly, Inuyasha lifted the sword into attack position. Straining, his eyes, he stared into space for the otherworldly demons.

He saw nothing.

Inuyasha felt a rising tide of despair. Desperate, willing to do anything to get his jikei back, he hacked at the air above the inuyoukai, hoping for a lucky hit.

Kagome recoiled a little. Then steeled herself. Stepping forward, she flung her arms around his back. "Inuyasha, stop… it won't work…"

The hanyou slumped, knowing her words to be true. He regretted the times in which he had killed his brother over and over in his mind. Regretted the hatred that he had grown for the elder. Regretted that the bond between them had come to such a tragic end.

Inuyasha wept, his salty tears mingling with the earth below. A droplet hit his shoulder, then more followed. The Heavens pours it's own tear on them without regard. Inuyasha stood in the rain with one single piece of knowledge.

It was too late.


End file.
